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Pre-med committee is INSANE
- Thread starter gumbyj
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I have never spoken with a pre med advisor, I do not anticipate it will have any bearing on the quality of my application. Any questions I may have can be answered on this forum.
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I thought there was an option where you could say you weren't using your pre-med committee and then explain why if necessary. I wonder if 'They were uninformed ass-hats' would be acceptable?
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Your committee isn't needed, per se...
Do it the way every other applicant with no committee process does it:
1) Solicit your own letters from professors & mail them in (address on the AAMC site).
2) Submit your AMCAS as SOON SOON SOON as possible! So important, the soon is.
3) Take your MCAT, designate your schools to receive in the applet thing they have.Your MCAT will be forwarded when ready, do NOT wait on your scores (especially if you're scoring 33's & applying to state programs).
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I thought if your school has a Pre-Health committee and you don't go through the whole process with them, it's seen as a red flag for medical schools. I think LizzyM said this once, but I might be mistaken. I wish I didn't have to use my Pre-Health committee.
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I wouldn't want to go to a school like that, wtf. Do you guys output a lot of pre-meds every year?! Do you go to a small liberal-arts college? The amount of ignorance and arrogance you just described seems insane. I too, would be skeptical sending all the information on my own if I have a pre-health committee, since I do know that "If you have one, you have to utilize it". Good luck OP!
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get a committee letter, but don't waive your right to see it, but also get individual letters from professors/other ppl which you do feel comfortable waiving your right to read. If committee letter is crap, don't use it [and throw a libel suit at them]. If it's ok, use it.
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If I had to guess, I would say this school is one that boasts about a high acceptance rate for their pre-meds. By restricting support for students with numbers higher than what is needed to give you a decent shot at admission, they can "boost" the acceptance rate of their pre-med students. Anyone who applies without the committee's support would not be counted as an official "pre med" at the school (unless they are admitted of course, then they probably count themI am REALLY trying to deal with my pre-med committee, but they are making it impossible.
My advisor just told me that there is no reason for me to take the MCAT unless I am AVERAGING 34 on all the AAMC practice tests. When she point blank asked me what I was getting, I told her my average was around 33 so far, but I still have lots of studying. She told me to WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR. I am applying DO for christ sakes...
They tell this to EVERYONE not just those with lower GPAs or aiming for top 20 schools etc...
She also told me if I take the July 6th MCAT that it is far too late and the committee will not support my application this year. Even though I repeatedly explained to her I would be verified and ready to go with secondaries written by the time my MCAT scores come out.
I am about to
)
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Pretty ridiculous OP... I would do it the way people without pre med committees do it.
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Wow. I hope you told your advisor how mistaken s/he was.
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Hmmm.. I wouldn't advise doing this unless you're absolutely 100% sure the schools you are applying to will not penalize you for not obtaining a committee letter. Try to get in touch with another advisor at your school.
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If I had to guess, I would say this school is one that boasts about a high acceptance rate for their pre-meds. By restricting support for students with numbers higher than what is needed to give you a decent shot at admission, they can "boost" the acceptance rate of their pre-med students. Anyone who applies without the committee's support would not be counted as an official "pre med" at the school (unless they are admitted of course, then they probably count them
++, sounds about right.That does sound really crazy. I took my mcat first in may, then again in September for a completed application in October. Was accepted to my state school by thanksgiving. Still getting interview invites.
I suggest going it alone and when they ask why you didn't use the premed committee tell them you didn't feel like the committee was very supportive and you wanted letters from individuals who know you better. The admissions committees are full of smart and reasonable people. They will understand.
Good luck my friend. Going it alone will take away your frustrations. I wasn't even a pre-med major.
I suggest going it alone and when they ask why you didn't use the premed committee tell them you didn't feel like the committee was very supportive and you wanted letters from individuals who know you better. The admissions committees are full of smart and reasonable people. They will understand.
Good luck my friend. Going it alone will take away your frustrations. I wasn't even a pre-med major.
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Option 1: Take the MCAT anyway, right away. Tell them that you appreciate their guidance, but that you do not want to postpone. Perhaps you can get a score soon enough to get their support this year.
Option 2: Realize that, perhaps, they are trying to raise the bar for you. Do you really want to go DO if you could secure an MD slot by waiting a year? Also realize that they are just protecting their committee's reputation. They don't want to send someone off to med school that's going to be a train-wreck, and thus lose credibility with the respective adcoms.
Option 3: Go it alone.
Option 2: Realize that, perhaps, they are trying to raise the bar for you. Do you really want to go DO if you could secure an MD slot by waiting a year? Also realize that they are just protecting their committee's reputation. They don't want to send someone off to med school that's going to be a train-wreck, and thus lose credibility with the respective adcoms.
Option 3: Go it alone.
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Pre med committees are usually awful - but here is almost no way to work around them. Do your best to work with them - even if they are spewing nonsense. They still have to write your letter and you don't gain any points with proving them wrong.
Trust me, my pre med committee advisor told me I would never get into medical school (I have a few acceptances on my first cycle this year).
Trust me, my pre med committee advisor told me I would never get into medical school (I have a few acceptances on my first cycle this year).
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I hope you don't think I was suggesting that you, personally, are a train wreck to be. That was just a generalized statement.
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if i had to guess, i would say this school is one that boasts about a high acceptance rate for their pre-meds. By restricting support for students with numbers higher than what is needed to give you a decent shot at admission, they can "boost" the acceptance rate of their pre-med students. Anyone who applies without the committee's support would not be counted as an official "pre med" at the school (unless they are admitted of course, then they probably count them
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I am REALLY trying to deal with my pre-med committee, but they are making it impossible.
My advisor just told me that there is no reason for me to take the MCAT unless I am AVERAGING 34 on all the AAMC practice tests. When she point blank asked me what I was getting, I told her my average was around 33 so far, but I still have lots of studying. She told me to WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR. I am applying DO for christ sakes...
They tell this to EVERYONE not just those with lower GPAs or aiming for top 20 schools etc...
She also told me if I take the July 6th MCAT that it is far too late and the committee will not support my application this year. Even though I repeatedly explained to her I would be verified and ready to go with secondaries written by the time my MCAT scores come out.
I am about to
Basically what is going on is the pre med comittee wants to pad their statistics. But on the other hand, you don't really want to be taking the MCAT multiple times. So if you think you are the best you can ever be, take the MCAT, otherwise wait. Do what is best for you, not for her. It is your money, you are paying her salary.
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Your pre-med committee does seem really terrible. Wish I had some advice, don't have a committee though. Maybe show them the average stats for some schools you're really interested in, and then compare them to your stats, thus showing them that you really are/will be competitive at said schools and the committees own 90%+ acceptance rate won't go down.
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I wouldn't worry about the committee letter saying anything bad. If they really do care about the % of students who matriculate to med school (which seems likely), then they will do everything they can to make sure you get in. Writing a bad letter would only hurt their precious numbers. Just be adamant that you're applying this upcoming cycle and they'll have to be accommodating. I'd hope..... Good luck
K
kpcrew
as jesse120 just pointed out, it's all about the percentage. the pre-med office wants to have every single applicant get in so that they can put it on their website to entice smart students. apparently tufts boasts a 90% acceptance rate but that doesn't mean that 90% of all premeds got into medical school. they probably discourage people with low gpas or mcats verbally or simply refuse to support those with "weak applications" by providing a committee letter.
What the heck...Only read first few posts but my goodness this is outrageous. July MCAT is too late to apply? Only approves of 34 MCAT and above? Is this a joke. This is ridiculous and I cannot imagine what the pre-med climate is at this "institution" if the pre-health committee is this bad.
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thank god my school doesn't have one. I'd probably be a DO student because of it. It was nice being in control of the LORs and not dealing with an advisor.
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Reading these threads make me think that I have the only good premed advisor in the world...
If you need to, just apply without the letter.
If you need to, just apply without the letter.
I am REALLY trying to deal with my pre-med committee, but they are making it impossible.
My advisor just told me that there is no reason for me to take the MCAT unless I am AVERAGING 34 on all the AAMC practice tests. When she point blank asked me what I was getting, I told her my average was around 33 so far, but I still have lots of studying. She told me to WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR. I am applying DO for christ sakes...
They tell this to EVERYONE not just those with lower GPAs or aiming for top 20 schools etc...
She also told me if I take the July 6th MCAT that it is far too late and the committee will not support my application this year. Even though I repeatedly explained to her I would be verified and ready to go with secondaries written by the time my MCAT scores come out.
I am about to
If you really think they're being unreasonable, what's keeping you from telling them you're averaging a 35 and have signed up for the earlier MCAT?
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There are medical schools in my state whose average is under a 30 on the MCAT.
34 or done? Wtf?
And if you're a D.O. applicant most school's averages are around a 27.
34 or done? Wtf?
And if you're a D.O. applicant most school's averages are around a 27.
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my committee uses 3 rec letters and eval forms from professors and compiles them into a letter. personally, i would have been encouraged to not apply if i was at your school. then i would have walked in the day after i got my acceptance and left my adviser a nice steaming pile of "advice" on her desk
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I felt the same way after what the pre-health advisor at my school told me (basically that I had no chance). I walked out of their fuming
Needless to say I never went back. I didn't need them anyway.OP, sorry that you are going through this frustrating ordeal. It sounds like you'll do just fine, with or without them. Best of luck to you!
Edit: Oh and by the looks of your avatar OP, you probably will end up not even siving a ghit.
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These were my thoughts exactly.
Same here. My committee was more understanding though, thank God...
I felt the same way after what the pre-health advisor at my school told me (basically that I had no chance). I walked out of their fuming
OP, sorry that you are going through this frustrating ordeal. It sounds like you'll do just fine, with or without them. Best of luck to you!
Edit: Oh and by the looks of your avatar OP, you probably will end up not even siving a ghit.
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I was averaging 33 on the official practice tests and ended up with a 39. I thought the real thing was easier and they curve it way up. Tell your pre-med committee they are dumb. I didn't even go through mine when I applied.
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